


Delusions and Fantasies

by HasNoName1982



Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, Flashbacks, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Season 3 Finale, Season/Series 03, Season/Series 04, Temporary Amnesia, light fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-25 03:25:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16653358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HasNoName1982/pseuds/HasNoName1982
Summary: Gibbs is getting ready to head to Mexico after Hiatus, when an unexpected visitor stops by and tells him things he may not be ready to hear.





	1. Delusions and Fantasies

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally published 10/25/2009 under the pen name Bob Rhynoplasty on FanFiction.Net. This is not plagiarism, I took a very long hiatus from writing fic and only just recently got back into it, and I chose a different name. The story will remain on FF.Net, but I'm transferring it here, as well.

Gibbs almost had everything packed. All the things he would need in Mexico were safely stuffed away in his suitcases. So far, his only problem was what to do with everything else. Should he put it in storage, or just leave it as is? If he left it, did that mean he planned on coming back? Did he even want to come back?

The knock at the door broke him out of his thoughts. He ran a hand through his graying hair before opening it.

Tony stood there, looking incredibly angry. But he wasn't talking. The two men stood there for quite a while, just staring at each other. Tony's anger never faded, but Gibbs' patience did. "You need something, DiNozzo?"

"You don't remember, do you?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes and walked away. "I'm leaving you in charge of the team. What more could you want?" He turned back around to see Tony practically on top of him. The younger man grabbed his face and pulled him forward till their lips smashed together.

Gibbs was shocked to say the least. But fortunately it only lasted a moment. He pushed Tony away, causing him to slam against the wall. Tony stumbled a little, before coming back and shoving Gibbs right back.

Considering he still had a pretty bad head injury, it was a miracle Gibbs managed to stay upright as his former second in command pushed him straight into his living room until his back finally made contact with his fireplace. "DiNozzo, what the hell?!"

"You said you remembered."

Gibbs shook his head again, only this time in confusion. "I do."

"Apparently not!" The older man looked at Tony again. Hidden underneath the anger was something else.  _Desperation_. "You don't remember me."

"You're Tony DiNozzo, my senior field agent—"

"I'm your boyfriend!"

Silence.

Gibbs blinked, but otherwise didn't do anything. What could he do? Finally, after what felt like a half an hour, he spoke. "What?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "After Kate died, you remember her, don't you?" Gibbs glared at him, Tony didn't seem fazed. "After the funeral, you and I went and got drunk together. One thing led to another and…" He trailed off, expecting Gibbs to come to the right conclusion.

He did. "DiNozzo, I'm not gay!"

"Yeah, actually, you are! With me." Gibbs was about to hit him. Tony, apparently sensing his tension, grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and slammed him back against the wall again, before he pressed his entire body against Gibbs'.

_Tony slammed him against the wall so hard a picture fell. His back protested but was soon calmed when Tony shoved his tongue into Gibbs' mouth._

Gibbs shook that thought away and went back to staring at Tony. "I fucked you right here once." The younger man said. "Actually it was our second time. I came here, because I thought we should talk about what happened after the funeral. And you challenged me." Tony smiled at the memory. "Practically dared me to bring it up again. So I kissed you."

"Tony," Gibbs said softly. He was worried about Tony's well being. He didn't seem to be all there right now. "None of that happened."

Tony pulled him back and slammed him again. "Yes it did! It did happen." Gibbs shook his head. Frustrated, Tony pulled away and turned his back to Gibbs. He flipped his jacket back and rested his thumbs in the back pockets of his jeans.

Then he took off upstairs.

Gibbs followed. He wasn't sure what Tony was capable of right now. His memory may not have been perfectly clear, but he was sure that he would remember if he was in an intimate relationship with one of his agents.

He found Tony in his bedroom. He stood near the bed, holding up a few of the ties and Gibbs owned but never wore. "I tied you up once. I had you laid out, spread eagle." He tossed the ties onto the bed. "I spent an entire hour, just teasing you. I didn't do anything until I had you  _begging_  me to take you."

Gibbs shook his head for what felt like the umpteenth time. "I don't beg."

"You did that night. I made you." Gibbs was about to comment before another thought struck him.

_Tony lay on top of him, his arms and feet were bound. He was naked, sprawled out on the bed. He bucked his hips towards Tony, but to no avail. Tony's lips trailed across his chest, barely brushing against his skin. He avoided his nipples, his neck. Any place that would truly excite him. It was torture!_

" _Tony!" He moaned. "Please."_

_Tony stopped right at his naval. "Please what?"_

_Gibbs swallowed a lump in his throat. "Please, fuck me."_

_Tony smiled._ " _Not good enough old man." Gibbs glared, but considering his position, he wasn't really all that scary. "But, since you are trying…" He trailed off. He scooted back up Gibbs' body till he reached his left nipple. His tongue darted out and flicked it. Gibbs moaned loudly._

" _Tony, I," he stopped._

_Tony sucked on the tiny nub. "You what?"_

" _I'm begging you!" He hated saying it. He especially hated that he meant it. "Fuck me, please!"_

 _Tony's smile got even wider._ " _See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He pulled away and positioned himself to enter—_

Gibbs was finally brought back to the present. Something he was very grateful for. Tony had moved. He stood to the left of the king size bed, at the night stand. He was pulling something out of the top drawer. He turned around and tossed it to Gibbs.

It was a bottle of lubricant. One that was almost empty. Gibbs dropped it as though it were a hot poker. He glared up at Tony. "How did you know that was in there?"

Tony rolled his eyes again. "Because I put it there! Come on, Gibbs I thought you were better than this!"

Gibbs shook his head again. "A bottle of lubricant doesn't prove anything, DiNozzo. And neither do your little fantasies."

That apparently struck a nerve. Tony looked like he had a glisten in his eyes. "Fantasies? What, you think that I'm making all of this up?"

Tony stepped closer. Gibbs didn't move. "I think you believe it all really happened. But it didn't." He was trying to sound sympathetic. He just wasn't sure how well it worked.

Tony chuckled, although there was no humor in it. "You're the one with amnesia, but I'm the one who doesn't know the truth?" He chuckled again. "Nice."

"Tony, you come into my home, tell me this extravagant stories that would  _never_  happen, and pull out a bottle of lube! This doesn't prove that we had sex. You don't even have condoms!" Tony looked a little sheepish after that statement. "What?"

His answer was slow coming. "We stopped using them. About a month or so ago." Silence filled the room again. Gibbs had to hand it to him, he certainly thought of everything.

"Again, that would never happen. I always use condoms. Even with my wives, I used condoms!"

"You didn't want to use them anymore. That was your choice!"

_Gibbs sat at the table, watching Tony as he leaned against the counter drinking his too sweet coffee. He had a thought he needed to get off his chest, and he just wasn't sure how to go about that. It was a big deal, and he wasn't really sure how Tony would feel about it._

_Finally, after several long grueling minutes, he spoke. "Are you seeing anyone else?"_

_Tony had the nerve to laugh at that. When Gibbs didn't laugh with him, he stopped. "Are you serious?"_

_The older man gave him a look that said, "Well, duh!"_

_The smile on his face dimmed a little, but it didn't leave altogether. "Gibbs, seriously, when would I have time? I'm always with you! I'm either at work, or I'm here. I don't have the time to see anyone else!" Gibbs hoped silently that there was more to his reasoning._

" _Do you want to?"_

_Tony was in mid sip when he stopped. He looked at Gibbs over the rim of his mug. Gibbs smiled inwardly. Even that simple little look was sexy._

_He put the mug down and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you?"_

_Gibbs shook his head. "No." The way he said that told Tony that was no arguing over it. The answer was final._

_He shrugged. "Good, 'cause neither do I." He picked up his coffee again. Gibbs took a deep breath and prepared himself to make his next request._

" _I want to stop using condoms." Yet again, Tony stopped mid sip. This time, his mouth fell open and the coffee dribbled down his chin. Gibbs knew that would happen. He also knew that he couldn't back down._

" _You can't be serious." Gibbs mouth never so much as opened. "You_ are _serious." He put the mug down again and started pacing around the room. "Gibbs, this," he paused and ran a hand through his hair. "This is insane! And dangerous."_

" _Are you clean?"_

" _Of course, I'm clean, but—"_

" _And you haven't been seeing anyone else in the last eight months?"_

" _No, but—"_

" _Because neither have I. I've been tested, you get tested regularly." He stood up and walked over to the other man. "I've never done this before, but I want to. With you."_

" _Gibbs—"_

_Gibbs cut him off yet again, only this time with a kiss. "I trust you." He said when he finally pulled away._

The two men were silent again, before Tony broke it. "You trusted me. You trusted me with your life, and with your body. You gotta remember that." He was close to pleading now.

"I can't remember something that never happened, Tony." He looked up and met Tony's eye. His own were cold. "I think it's time you leave. I have packing to do." He turned away to head back downstairs.

"Why won't you believe me?" Gibbs turned back around. "You remembered Mike Franks, you remembered Director Sheppard." Gibbs had a brief flashback to them making love again. "But not me?"

"They were there for me when I was in the hospital. If we were  _dating_ ," he said the word with a hint of disgust. "Where the hell were you?"

"Trying to find the guy who nearly killed you. When I had the plague, where were you?"

Gibbs' stomach clenched a little at that memory. Seeing Tony so weak as he lay in that bed, lips chapped, coughing up blood, barely able to breathe. "Trying to find your cure." He stepped closer to the younger man. "See? I do remember you. I remember the truth."

Any emotion suddenly left Tony's face. He completely shut down. Gibbs almost felt bad, but it was for Tony's own good. At some point, he completely imagined a  _relationship_ between them. His fantasy was so bad, he actually believed what he was saying. But Gibbs knew it wasn't true. He may not remember everything about the past few years, but he would remember this. He remembered being with Jenny Sheppard the moment he saw her. He would have remembered being with Tony. Especially if what they had was as special as he claimed it was.

"Now, can you please leave? I have packing I have to do." Tony turned his back to Gibbs for a moment, probably to hide his tears. Gibbs stepped away from him again. When he turned around again, his face was blank again.

"Sorry to have bothered you,  _Mr._ Gibbs." Gibbs inwardly flinched at the way he said that. It was meant to cut.

Before anything else could be said, Tony walked out of the room and out of the house. Gibbs sat down on the comforter and rested his head in his hands. This day had been more exhausting than he would have preferred. He really wasn't ready for all of this. Damn Tony for this!

Maybe Gibbs left the wrong person in charge. At this point, Palmer would probably have made a better candidate.

* * *

Tony sat in his car outside of Gibbs' house. He wasn't watching the place, or anything else equally creepy. He just hadn't bothered to start the car yet. Instead, he stared down at the photo in his hand. He swiped it from Gibbs' nightstand before he left.

He didn't know why he took it. But if the man wanted to be in denial, then Tony wasn't going to try to keep pushing the issue. He was done.

He smiled at the picture. It was of him and Gibbs, during one of the only vacations they took together. They went to a ski lodge up in Vermont. It was great, nobody knew them, they didn't have to hide who they were, or how they felt. If Gibbs decided to throw his arm around Tony, they didn't have to look over their shoulders to make sure no one was around.

On the first day of the trip, they got one of the other lodgers at the resort to take their picture. It was a completely g-rated moment. Gibbs stood behind Tony, who was laughing at the fact that he had to squat because he was two inches taller. It was an absolutely corny moment, but the both of them just loved it.

" _Say cheese!" The balding, forty something year old man called out to them. Tony did as he was told. Gibbs didn't. Instead he placed a soft kiss on Tony's cheekbone. Even though he was straight as an arrow, the balding man couldn't deny how adorable the two of them were together._

_After the picture was taken, he handed Tony back the camera. "That's a keeper," he said before he left._

_Tony turned around to face Gibbs, pretending to be angry. "Did you just make me your woman?" Gibbs couldn't help but laugh._

" _Got a problem with that, DiNozzo?" He was basically mocking his own sternness with that question, but he just couldn't care._

" _Yeah, a little. I don't want you to start thinking I'm gonna start acting like your little wife, and cook and clean and—"_

_Gibbs cut him off with a kiss. When he pulled away, he was still smiling. "Did I ever tell you that you talk too much?"_

" _Not in as many words. Usually, it's with a head slap or just screaming my name. Sometimes you glare and that's supposed to mean I should shut up—" Gibbs threw his hand over Tony's mouth this time. The younger man continued to ramble into it, tickling his palm._

" _I love you." That worked. Tony's eyes widened and no other sound passed his lips. Gibbs finally pulled his hand away. "Finally!" He joked, before he turned away and headed for the ski lift._

_Tony caught up to him after only a few steps. "Did you just say that to shut me up, or because you really mean it?"_

_Gibbs shrugged. "A little of both." Tony grabbed his shoulder and swung him around to face him. He grabbed the back of Gibbs' neck and pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss. Their tongues swirled around each other as their hands roamed over each other's bodies. Finally, they pulled apart, panting. "I take it that means you love me too?"_

" _Yeah, but I can't actually say it, because then, it's like I'm only saying it because you said it first, and now I have to say it to avoid an awkward moment. So, it's actually better for me to show you that I love you instead of actually—"_

" _DiNozzo!"_

" _Shutting up, boss." Gibbs made damn sure of that when he went in for another kiss._

Tony tossed the photo onto the passenger's seat and wiped his eyes. He didn't even realize he was crying. He hadn't shed a tear before now, but he guessed that it had all finally become too much to bear. It had been long week.

He spared one last look at the house before he started the engine and drove off into the night.


	2. Memories and Deceptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Shalom, Gibbs goes back to Mexico where someone confronts him about things he might not be able to face just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally published on 10/28/2009 on FanFiction.Net under the pen name Bob Rhynoplasty

The sun beat down on the back of his neck as Gibbs made his way back to Mike's little cottage. As usual, Mike was lounging around out front. He was reading what looked like a dirty magazine, but Gibbs couldn't be sure from the distance. Camila was nowhere to be seen, but she was no doubt around. Mike liked to have her near him. Mainly so he could flirt with her.

The trip back to D.C. was more awkward than he would have preferred. DiNozzo didn't actually say anything about their previous conversation, but it still hung in the air between them.

"Hey, Probie, how was the old team?" Before he had the chance to respond, Camila came running out of the house. She smiled brightly at him.

"Señor Gibbs! You're back." She walked up and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Good to be back, Camila." She finally released him, but she didn't move away. Instead, she gave him that look she saved for him. In the background, Mike grunted. "How've you been?"

Camila shrugged. "Not bad. But much better now that you're back." She gave him a wink before she walked back in the house. Gibbs followed her movements with his eyes.

Mike grunted again. Gibbs turned to him, his smile gone. "What?"

Mike shrugged. "I spend all my time trying to get her to look at me that way, and instead she wants the one who doesn't want her." He chuckled.

Gibbs sat down across from the other man. He was confused. "What are you talking about?" He thought he liked Camila.

"I worked with you long enough to know you, Probie. You ain't…  _interested_."

The way he said that didn't sit well with Gibbs. It sort of brought up memories of his conversation with DiNozzo. "Tell me, Mike. Why would you think I'm not interested?" There was a challenge in his voice. Even though Mike was his role model, he was pretty sure that he could take him in a fist fight.

But the older man didn't rise to the bait. Instead he laughed again. "You don't remember, do you?"

It was really starting to grate on him that people insisted on bringing up his amnesia all the damn time. "Let's just say, Probie, You don't ask, and I won't tell."

That was met with silence.

Gibbs tried to wrap his head around what Mike just told him. And he didn't like it. "Are you saying you think I'm gay?"

"I don't think, I know."

Gibbs groaned. "What, are you gonna tell me that we had a relationship too?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. He never told anyone about that. Least of all Mike.

"Too?"

Gibbs ran a hand down his face. "Yeah, one of my former agents, he told me," he stopped. He couldn't even bring himself to say it.

That made Mike burst out laughing. "Seriously? Which one? Tell me it wasn't that goofy looking kid." Gibbs tried to look back to think when Mike had met his team. He couldn't think of the time.

Still, he shook his head. "No, it wasn't McGee." At Mike's confused look, he reiterated. "The goofy looking kid."

"Oh."

"No, it was," he chuckled. "It was DiNozzo." Recently, every time he thought about that conversation he had with Tony back at his house, he couldn't help but chuckle. Tony DiNozzo, ladies' man extraordinaire, obsessed with  _him._

"Which one was that?"

Gibbs was pulled out of his thought at the question. He almost didn't hear it. "Oh, the, uh, the tall one, with the eyes, and the smile. Wears a lot of designer clothes."

Mike was quiet for a second. "The eyes and the smile?" He chuckled again. "So, let me guess, you don't believe him."

It wasn't a question. So Gibbs didn't treat it like one. "Would you?"

"If it was about me, personally, I'd smack the kid around a couple times. But about you, yeah, I can actually believe it." Gibbs shook his head.

"I think I'd remember if I was gay, Mike."

"Not with the serious denial you were in." Mike stood up to get himself another beer. Gibbs' eyes followed. "You weren't exactly out of the closet when I met ya, Probie. And with the whole, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," I can't really say I blame you."

Gibbs turned away. "So, how did you figure it out then?" It wasn't a serious question, more sarcastic—or challenging—than anything else.

Mike shrugged. "There were a couple a' guys. Caught you leering at one of 'em once. Course, you denied it though."

"Maybe, 'cause I wasn't leering." This was ridiculous. How many times was he going to have to defend his sexuality? "I'm not gay. I've been married four times!"

"Yeah, and how well did those work out for you?" Gibbs was silent. Mike moved to sit back down in his lounge chair. "Probie, you married those last three wives, to replace Shannon." Her name still hurt. "All of 'em were redheads, all feisty."

"They were a little more than feisty."

"Points still valid, Jethro. You weren't lookin' for a soulmate. You were lookin' for a permanent bed buddy."

Gibbs stood up. "Still doesn't prove anything, Mike." He looked off into the distance. His eyes caught sight of his unfinished boat.

_His hands were most likely going to have blisters in the morning, but he just couldn't find it in him to care. Tony wrapped his arms around his chest to hold him still as he panted against his neck._

Gibbs turned back to Mike. The older man eyed him curiously. "Alright then, tell me. What do you think of Camila?"

"I like her." Silence.

"That's it?" Mike arched his eyebrow as he stared at him incredulously.

Gibbs smiled. "What else is there?"

"How about, she's a beautiful woman, she obviously has a thing for you, if you wanted her, you could have her in a heartbeat." He stood up and invaded Gibbs' personal space. "The question is, do you want her?"

Gibbs glared back with equal intensity. He knew Mike's tricks. Hell, he'd used most of them himself over the years. He knew that Mike was trying to get him to crack, but he wasn't going to. No, he made other people crack, not the other way around. "She's a little young for me."

He turned around and went back into the house. He immediately found the kitchen. He desperately needed a beer. It had taken him almost four months to come close to reversing the mind fuck Tony put on him. And Mike was just redoing the whole thing!

_Gibbs and Tony lay in the hallway, naked and panting. Gibbs had his head resting on his chest. He was mentally scolding himself. He knew this was a bad idea. Not only did Tony work for him, he was a man. With the exception of a few one night stands, he had practically succeeded in pushing those urges out of his mind entirely. But Tony just brought all of them to the forefront._

_Tony took a deep breath before turning to him. "So, I think now might be a good time to talk, boss." He was smiling._

_Gibbs honestly thought he would melt._

" _This was a mistake, DiNozzo."_

 _Tony rolled his eyes._ " _One time is a mistake, Gibbs. Twice?" He shook his head. "Not so much."_

" _You came onto me!"_

" _You practically ripped my shirt off."_

_Gibbs almost retaliated until he realized something. He wasn't angry. This wasn't a real argument. This was… bantering. They were bantering. That wasn't good._

" _Rule twelve; never date a coworker." Of all of Gibbs' employees, past and present, Tony followed his rules as though they were his commandments. Hell, he followed them better than Gibbs did sometimes._

 _Tony rolled his eyes again. "Never_ date _a coworker. But," he gave him a mischievous grin, "There's no rule about sleeping with one." He wriggled his eyebrows. And he'd have to admit, Gibbs was almost tempted._

" _NCIS does."_

" _Our business, not theirs."_

 _Gibbs was quiet for a second._ " _Are you saying you want this?"_

" _Do you?" He still had a bit of a smile on his face._

" _No." Gibbs was sure that statement would deter the younger man. Wipe that grin right off his face. Except it didn't. He gave it a thoughtful moment, that twinkle still in his eyes._

_Then he came up and straddled Gibbs' hips. The older man sucked in a deep breath as his body reacted. "Then throw me off. Tell me that's not a hard on I'm feeling right now." Tony's mouth was less than an inch away from his own. His hot breath tickled his lip. "I'm going to kiss you right now. Are you going to stop me?"_

_Gibbs lightly shook his head. "No."_

"Gibbs?" Gibbs threw the fridge door shut at the sound of Camila's voice. He had no idea how long he was standing there, but he was pretty sure he looked like an idiot. "Is everything alright?"

He didn't speak. Instead, he looked her up and down. There was no denying her beauty. And she was such a great person. The way she came up and hugged him sort of reminded him of Abby. The way she ignored Mike reminded him of Kate. But the way she flirted with him reminded him of…

"Yeah," he said finally. "I'm just looking for a beer."

She smiled. It was that warm smile she always seemed to have when looking at him. He could tell that she truly liked him. As more than just an escape from Mike, or because she found him attractive.

She generally liked him.

She came up and stood next to him. She pulled a bottle of beer off the top shelf. It was right in front of his face the entire time.

They shared a chuckle as he pulled off the top and took a sip. "Not one of my finer moments, huh?"

She shook her head. "Not really. But it's ok. Everyone is allowed a few." She winked at him before she turned around and left the room. He took another swig of his beer.

"Well if that wasn't flirting, then I don't know what is." Gibbs didn't even bother to turn around. He knew that Mike was standing in the doorway. And more importantly, he knew he was smiling all-knowingly at him.

"What's your point?"

"My point, Jethro, is that beautiful, sensual Mexican woman just flirted with you, and you're  _not_ trying to get her in your bed as we speak." The older man moved from the doorway closer to his former partner. He leaned on the counter next to the fridge. "I wonder why."

Gibbs glared at him. "I told you, she's a little young for me." He turned around and headed off towards his room.

"So is DiNozzo."

Gibbs didn't stop moving. He was afraid that if he did, he would punch his mentor straight in the face.

He walked into his room and plopped down on his bed. He rubbed his eyes with the balls of his hands. It was happening all over again. Except Mike was worse. Tony was delusional, Mike had no such excuse. He was messing with him strictly out of cruelty.

The question was why. Mike wasn't a necessarily cruel person, so Gibbs couldn't figure out why he would do this.

He didn't know how long he lay there, but after a while, exhaustion overtook him.

_He grasped the head board, his head thrown back against the pillows as Tony pushed inside of him. He was so close to the edge, and he knew Tony would soon follow. His legs tightened around the other man's waist in an attempt to push him further in. A feat in and of itself, considering Tony was buried deep as it was._

_His gut twisted and his muscles tightened. He cried out as his orgasm took over. Tony's movements increased in pressure, but decreased in speed as he climaxed. He collapsed on top of the older man with a grunt. Gibbs lowered his legs. He rubbed Tony's back._

_The younger man tried to pull away—out—but Gibbs grabbed his shoulder to stop him. "Don't. Not yet." Tony gave him a lopsided smile, but nevertheless complied._

" _Can I ask you something?"_

_Gibbs nodded. "Shoot."_

" _Why do you do this?" He pointed between them. "After sex, you always… make me stay… in you." He flushed as he said those words._

" _Embarrassed there, Tony?"_

 _Tony gave him an awkward smile._ " _I just think it's a little weird. I mean, having me in you during sex is one thing, I don't get the whole deal about afterwards. It can't exactly be all that comfortable." He looked down at the way Gibbs was practically folded in half. "So?"_

_Gibbs smiled warmly. "I just like it."_

_Tony looked at him confused. "Are you trying to tell me that you're a masochist, Gibbs?"_

_Gibbs shook his head. "No." He said it that way he does at work to tell people there was no arguing._

" _Then why?"_

_He sighed heavily before he answered. "I like it. I like… feeling you close." He started rubbing Tony's back again. "It… makes me feel whole. Complete." Tony's smile widened with every word he spoke. "Ok?"_

_Tony didn't say anything for a bit. "Gibbs, I," he paused and pulled up a little bit. "I never realized… how much of a_ sap _you are." Gibbs threw his head back and laughed out loud. "You also laugh a lot more when you're at home."_

_Gibbs looked at the younger man. There was a gleam in his eye. Tony truly was a sight to see. Gibbs pulled him closer and shook his head. "Only with you, Tony. Just you." Tony's smile widened. "You can spare an old man a few minutes, can't you?"_

_Tony rolled his eyes. "You're not that old, Jethro."_   _Gibbs smiled at the use of his first name._

_Tony snuggled closer into Gibbs' chest. "And, I suppose a few more minutes like this isn't that weird."_

_Gibbs smiled again. He kissed Tony's forehead as he pulled him closer._

Gibbs jerked awake with a gasp. He sat up panting. Nausea rolled around in his stomach.

He remembered.

He remembered everything that he had with Tony. Every sappy, cheesy moment, every argument, every moment in the bedroom… or under the boat… or in the car, the couch. And it sickened him.

How could he ever have forgotten him? He told Tony that he loved him. And he humiliated him. He basically said he was crazy. How could he do that to someone that he loved?

He clenched his eyes shut tight and ran a hand over his face. A sob caught in his throat as tears slid down his cheeks.


	3. Apologies and Arguments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Singled Out, Tony is woken up in the middle of the night to find someone standing on his doorstep who he isn't ready to forgive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 11/03/2009 on FanFiction.Net under the pen name Bob Rhynoplasty.

Tony was awoken to the incessant pounding. At first, his exhausted mind didn't know what it was or what to even make of it. But as he climbed out from underneath his plush comforter and trudged his way through his apartment, he started to realize that the pounding was coming from his front door.

The small red digital clock on his cable box told him that it was 2200. He groaned. Just who in their right mind would be at his door at this hour?

"I'm coming!" He yelled when the pounding kept coming. He ripped the door open, ready to yell at whatever schmuck was causing him so much grief. Instead he just stood, wide eyed and mouth gaping. "What are you doing here?"

At first, Gibbs didn't say anything. He just stood there. If Tony didn't know any better, he'd say that the man looked guilty. But that wasn't right. Gibbs never looked guilty.

"It's too late, isn't it?"

At first, Tony didn't know what he was talking about, lack of sleep and all. But then it slowly dawned on him.

"You remember." It wasn't a question.

"Everything finally clicked together when I was in Mexico." He was going to continue, but stopped when Tony started chuckling.

"And it's taken you this long to say something?" He crossed his arms over his bare chest. He hadn't even realized that he had opened the door naked. He really was tired.

But if Gibbs noticed his nudity, he didn't say anything. "I didn't know how to…" he paused. Tony silently hoped he was going to say  _how to apologize_ , or something equally unGibbs. "I didn't know what to say."

The younger man scratched his stubbled jaw. "Well, you could have started with something along the lines of 'I shouldn't have questioned your sanity.' Maybe move on from there. You know, just a thought."

Gibbs sighed heavily. He truly looked miserable about how things had turned out, but Tony just couldn't find the will to care. Gibbs broke his heart before he went off to Mexico. Even though Tony would never admit it under pain of death, he felt like the older man had taken his soul with him. And he wouldn't even bother to apologize.

_Gibbs' arms were wrapped around him, guiding his hands along the boat. "Now, remember, sand with the grain of the wood." He brought their hands back down._

" _So, wouldn't backwards be going against the grain?" Gibbs pulled away long enough to give him a light tap on the back of the head. Tony cringed in pain for a split second. "Huh."_

" _What?"_

_Tony shrugged. "That's the first time you smacked me outside of the office. I was starting to get worried. I mean it's not like I've stopped annoying you. If anything, I've been trying to get you to smack me—"_

" _Tony."_

" _Shutting up." He felt the older man's chuckle on his neck. It sent shivers down his spine. They picked up their rhythm again. "Gibbs, can I say something?"_

" _Shoot."_

" _Why did you invite me over tonight?" Gibbs stopped sanding the boat again, but he didn't pull away. "I mean, the reason this whole arrangement's worked is because we haven't actually been dating. Just fucking." He paused when he felt Gibbs tense behind him. He wasn't sure if it was because he was embarrassed of the act, or just the word. "But this seems more like a date."_

_Neither of them moved for a few minutes. Tony wasn't sure if he said something stupid, or if Gibbs was rethinking having him over, or what. He was mentally kicking himself for saying anything when Gibbs finally took pity on his and started moving again. "Maybe I just decided I could use another set of hands on the haul here."_

_Tony rolled his eyes. "It's not really all that helpful if you're guiding me the whole time." Gibbs pulled his hands off Tony's. He ran them up his arms and over his torso. Tony stopped moving and shut his eyes._

" _True," Gibbs crooned in his ear. His fingers reached Tony's belt. They undid it and slipped inside his pants. Tony started breathing heavier. "But I do need your help with something else."_

" _Oh yeah? And what's that?" His hands gripped the wood till they almost bled._

_Gibbs massaged him gently. "I've decided to name this boat after my ex wife. And instead of burning her when I'm done, I've thought of another way to fuck her over. But I can't do that without you."_

_Tony smiled. "Let me guess, you wanna give her a metaphorical slap in the face 'cause you couldn't actually do it in real life." Gibbs squeezed. Tony sucked in a gust of air._

" _Pretty much," he said directly in Tony's ear._

_The younger man nodded. "I can definitely help you with that." In one swift motion that shouldn't be possible, he pulled himself away from Gibbs, swung around and took hold of the older man's mouth with his own._

Tony snapped out of the memory and stared at the intruder on his doorstep. He needed to hate this man, and he couldn't do that if he kept thinking about the good times.

"Seeing anybody new?" Gibbs finally asked after a few moments of complete silence. Tony was almost caught off guard by it. Almost.

"Yeah," he looked down at his stoop as he said it. Then he realized that it was a sign of weakness—not making eye contact—and quickly looked back up. "Yeah I am."

Gibbs nodded. Although, it was obvious that it upset him. "Anybody I know?"

Tony was about to respond when he heard a voice coming from inside the apartment. "Tony? Tony!" The man in question tensed as Gibbs' eyebrows shot to his hairline.

He leaned back inside the doorway. "Go back to sleep, babe! I'll be there in a minute!"

"Is somebody at the door?"

Tony sighed heavily. "Yeah, don't worry, he's just about to leave." He turned back to Gibbs. The older man looked at him incredulously.

"Palmer?" Tony rolled his eyes.

"That a problem,  _boss_?" They were silent again. Gibbs looked away from him. He was upset. Really upset. Tony almost found himself faltering again.

" _This is a bad idea, Gibbs." Tony pulled out yet another shirt from his suitcase. "A really, really bad idea."_

_Gibbs grabbed the shirt out of his hand and put it back. "It's a great idea, now how about you help me pack here?" He grabbed the younger man and pressed a quick kiss to his lips._

" _The director's gonna get suspicious if we both go on vacation at the same time. And if she doesn't, you know damn well Ziva will. This is like asking for trouble!" Tony grabbed more clothes out of his suitcase and brought them back to his dresser._

" _Tony!" Gibbs stopped his packing momentarily. "Will you just breathe? Jenny already knows that we're going. She doesn't know anything. We'll be fine." He started up again._

 _Tony didn't look convinced. "Ok, so maybe she hasn't figured it,_ yet _, but she will! And, why the hell are we going on vacation together anyways?" He chuckled, although it was more hysterical than anything else._

" _I thought you liked snowboarding!"_

" _I do, but vacations are things that couples do. We're not a couple, so we shouldn't be going on vacations together." He crossed his arms over his chest to signal that his answer was final._

_Gibbs glared at him. That glare he uses in an interrogation to break even the scariest and toughest criminals._

_Gibbs shrugged. "Maybe I want to be."_

_Tony's jaw dropped. Gibbs smiled._ " _Ah… uh… what?"_

 _Gibbs walked closer._ " _I. Want. To. Be. A. Couple."_

 _Tony still barely understood him._ " _What about rule #12?"_

_Gibbs scrunched up his face as he contemplated that. "We kinda already broke that rule DiNozzo." Tony smiled. "So, what do ya say?"_

_He didn't say anything at first. He watched Gibbs for a while, trying to figure out if he was for real or not. He sure looked like he was._

" _Vermont, huh?"_

"Just a little shocked is all." Gibbs finally looked down at his naked body. "Doin' pretty well I see."

"Yeah," Tony chuckled bitterly. "And he's a terrible liar, so, I know if he's hiding a family from me." They were silent again.

"I should have told you—"

"Yeah, you should've! You said you loved me, but you couldn't even tell me that you had a kid?! All these years, you've been lying to me! I thought you trusted me but—"

"But it was my business, and I didn't have to tell you."

Tony turned away. He finally broke. After all this time, he finally snapped and yelled at Gibbs. But it didn't make him feel better. Actually, it was quite the opposite. He felt worse.

He turned back to his ex. "It's late. I'm tired." He gave the older man a glare that could rival one of his interrogation looks. "I'll see you at work tomorrow." Before Gibbs could say anything else, he shut the door in his face.

Tony ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't really all that tired anymore. Gibbs had taken care of that. Stupid old man.

Slowly, he made his way back to his bedroom. He crawled into bed beside Jimmy. The younger man was passed out on his stomach, snoring lightly. He had earphones in. Tony chuckled as he crawled in next to him.

He leaned in close so he could hear the song that was playing. From what he could tell, it was a bunch of men singing some little ditty about how they shouldn't have let some girl go. He chuckled again, only this time out of irony.

He lay on his back with his hands under his head. All he did was stare at the ceiling, thinking. There was nothing else he could do, really.

He was miserable. Things hadn't ended well with Gibbs. He hated to say it, but that upset him. He missed him. He would never admit it, but, this—what he had with Palmer—wasn't the same. Palmer could never mean to him what Gibbs did.

He looked over at his boyfriend. He wasn't even sure how this whole thing started. One second, he's down in Autopsy to see Ducky, and the next, he's at Palmer's apartment with his tongue down the younger man's throat and his hand down his pants. He couldn't say what happened in between that.

He sighed heavily and tried to fall asleep. He wasn't having much luck.

_Tony slammed the coffee down on the table. His mouth was tight and his breathing heavy. He was mad, and Gibbs didn't look like he really cared. Tony slammed a mug so hard it cracked._

" _Something bothering you, DiNozzo?"_

 _Tony chuckled bitterly._ " _Bothering me? What could be bothering me…boss." He added the last part to say to the older man that 'yes something was bothering him, and no you're not helping.'_

_Gibbs sighed and walked closer to him. He gave him a look that said 'tell me.' Tony didn't say anything. He turned away and went to grab something else. Gibbs rolled his head around in frustration. "What the hell did I do?"_

_Tony slammed the fridge shut. "You let yourself be taken hostage by a kid wearing a damn_ bomb _! What? Am I not supposed to be mad about that?"_

" _Tony, I'm fine!"_

" _No, you… you didn't tell anyone about this stupid plan, but you expect everyone to just go along with it!" He paused. "You expect_ me _to just go along with it."_

" _I figured you could handle it." Gibbs never raised his voice above normal._

 _That just made Tony even angrier._ " _Right. So, half the time at work, all I get is crap, but then, suddenly I'm given all the responsibility!"_

" _Who gives you crap?"_

" _You do!" He almost threw something as he said it. Gibbs took a step back. "You, and everyone else, but then you go and do something stupid, and they run to me for help, when, quite frankly, I can barely think straight!" He started pacing at this point. He was losing control, he knew it. He turned to face the older man. "And you know, just so everyone's clear, I'm the one who solved this! I got you, and those kids out of there alive! And yeah, I got it from a movie, so what? I was the one who thought of it! Not Ziva, not McGee, hell, not even you!"_

_Gibbs moved closer and wrapped his arms around the younger man. He pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You did great today. I couldn't have been more proud of you." He hugged tighter, even though Tony wasn't hugging him back._

" _You scared me today, Gibbs." It was said barely above a whisper. If he spoke any louder, Tony was sure Gibbs would be able to hear a quiver in his voice. "I thought you were gonna—"_

_He never got to finish. Gibbs grabbed him and kissed him passionately. When he pulled away, there was a glimmer of emotion in his eyes. "I wasn't worried. Tony, I know you. I knew you would be ok." He paused and ran a hand behind Tony's neck, securing him in place. He smiled softly. "I knew you'd save us. Save me."_

_Tony smiled. He thought about saying something equally sweet, but, he couldn't think of a damn thing. So instead, he said, "Were you this much of a sap with your ex-wives?" He almost expected a smack for that one._

_But of course, Gibbs always managed to surprise him. He simply shook his head. "Only with you, Tony. Just." He kissed him again. "You." Tony smiled again at the older man's new favorite phrase before Gibbs yet again kissed him. Only this one turned into a hell of a lot more._

Tony shook head to clear it. It didn't work very well. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't rid himself of Gibbs. It didn't help that he had to work with him again. Starting tomorrow, he was back to being simply senior field agent. And tonight Gibbs gave him a serious mindfuck!

He rolled over and tapped Palmer's shoulder. The young man groaned and buried his head further into the pillows. "Jimmy, come on baby, wake up."

After a few more shakes, Palmer finally opened his eyes. "What?"

Tony smiled seductively and leaned in closer. "I can't sleep. I was hoping you could help tire me out." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Even in his tired state, Palmer got excited. He pushed himself up and attacked Tony's lips with his own. Tony grabbed him around the middle and pulled him on top of him, while his hand reached towards his nightstand for the lubricant and condoms.


	4. Forgiveness and New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Requiem, After Gibbs reburies Kelly's time capsule, he and Tony finally have the heart to heart that has eluded them for over a year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 11/15/2009 on FanFiction.Net under the pen name Bob Rhynoplasty. And I officially feel old.

The little metal lunchbox disappeared under the mounds of dirt Gibbs kept piling on it. He was smiling the entire time. He was by no means over Kelly's death, but somehow, he knew he'd be okay.

Somebody entered his backyard. Gibbs didn't turn around. The somebody barely made a sound as they stepped up to him, but Gibbs knew there was somebody there. He could feel it.

"Never really took you for the gardening type, boss." Gibbs felt his stomach clench as Tony knelt down next to him. Being around the younger man this last year was a daily challenge. One that ate him up inside every day.

_Gibbs finally tore his eyes away from the iguana on the bed to see DiNozzo standing there, gun raised. He was completely naked. The first thing that went through his mind was that it was just not fair for a guy that good looking to be that endowed._

"So what are you doing?" Tony asked, pulling Gibbs out of his memory. The older man sighed, a ghost of a smile falling on his face again.

"Reburying Kelly's time capsule." He stared down at the dirt underneath his bushes.

Tony was silent for a while. "Why?" He finally asked.

He didn't have to specify, Gibbs knew what he meant. Why bother reburying it? He shrugged. "Those were Kelly's secrets. It's not my business to look at them." He finally looked up to stare into Tony's eyes. There was worry hidden deep within the green of his irises. There was also a trace of something else. Something brighter. "I don't need to see what's inside. I feel better knowing I have a piece of Kelly here."

They were silent for a while. It wasn't awkward though, like a lot of their silences had been recently. More… content.

Finally, Tony broke it. "How're you doing?"

"I'm okay." He didn't offer up any other details. He had something else he needed to say. "Thank you." Tony looked up from the bushes again. "For saving Maddie. Thank you."

Gibbs wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but he knew it wasn't anger, which is exactly what he got.

Fury consumed Tony's face as he scratched his jaw. A low, bitter, chuckle erupted deep in his throat as he stood up. "Yeah." He started walking out of the yard.

Gibbs was confused. "DiNozzo."

Tony whirled around. "For saving  _Maddie_ , right? Not 'thank you saving us,' or 'for having my back.' How about, 'Thanks, Tony, you did good today, I should have asked for your help instead of going off and doing something stupid!'" He stopped, his face was turning purple, and he was shaking.

Gibbs stood up and moved closer to him. His first instinct was to reach out and touch Tony. To physically comfort him. But he knew that wouldn't be welcomed, so instead, he just stood there. "I didn't think I needed to say that."

"Of course you didn't. You never did before." Tony turned around again.

Gibbs was getting frustrated. Very quickly. "Hey!" He yelled. Tony turned around, he wasn't afraid, he was still mad. "You wanna tell me what your problem is, or are you just going to act like a child some more?"

"I'm being a child? Gibbs you nearly  _died_  today!" He moved closer again, his voice rising with every sentence he spoke. "You went off half cocked— _again_ —and almost got yourself killed! But I'm being a child because I was worried about you?" He finally stopped. Gibbs took a step back.

He never expected to see so much hurt in Tony's eyes again. But there it was, consuming him. And he didn't know what to do. Not anymore. "I was trying to protect a friend of my daughter's."

"I know." Tony moved into Gibbs' personal space. "But you should've trusted us to be there for you. If Jenny hadn't figured out Haas was using Maddie's mailbox, both of you would be dead right now." His voice shook a little at the end.

"You would have figured it out, Tony."

"Maybe too late." Gibbs couldn't take it anymore. He reached forward and grabbed Tony's face. He moved till his lips were just a breath away from Tony's.

"Jenny may have figured out the mailbox issue, but you were the one who found me. Whether or not she gave you that clue, I  _know_  you would have found me in time." He looked down at Tony's lips, then back up to stare into his eyes. Without even thinking he closed the distance between them.

_Gibbs was sitting at his desk, thinking about the events from this day. Tony almost died. Again. He saw the car blow up himself. And it scared the hell out of him. When he saw the car explode on that camera, he wished he was in it. To die alongside of Tony, because he knew for damn sure he couldn't survive losing him too._

_But it wasn't Tony. Relief flooded his body as Tony walked into the office, the same cocky demeanor he always had, despite that he had just been through hell. He never stopped being Tony._

_But now the man in question was missing. Again. But, like he said, it was a rough day. His girlfriend upped and left him, he was almost killed twice in one day, and he had a gun pointed at him. Gibbs couldn't really blame him for wanting to be alone. He just wished he knew that Tony was safe._

_As if by luck, the elevator doors dinged and slid open. He looked up to see Tony strolling towards him. His shoulders sagged, and he definitely had a very ragged look on his face. He probably wasn't expecting to see Gibbs there so late, because when he finally looked up he stopped dead in his tracks._

" _What are you doing here?" He said by way of greeting._

_Gibbs shrugged. "Working. What are you doing here?"_

_Tony eyed him suspiciously for a moment. Probably trying to determine if he was going to tell the truth or lie. Finally, he caved. "I felt like being alone." He moved to go sit at his desk._

_Gibbs' eyes followed him as he sat down. He didn't power up his computer, didn't take his jacket off. He just stared off at the far wall. "Do you mind having company?" A part of him realized it was a stupid question, but he didn't care. He wasn't going anywhere when one of his team was in such bad shape. Particularly Tony._

_Tony turned towards him. He looked almost as if he didn't hear him. He shook his head. "No, it's uh, it's fine." He smiled. It was the kind of smile that didn't reach his eyes._

_Gibbs sighed heavily and wheeled his chair over to Tony. The younger man barely spared him a glance. Gibbs eyed him, worry consumed him. "I am sorry about this."_

_Tony chuckled. It was a sad sound. "I thought that was a sign of weakness."_

_Gibbs shrugged. "Jenny shouldn't have put you on this mission. She shouldn't have even conducted this mission. It was wrong for her to use you for her own personal vendetta." Tony had his head in his hands. He didn't look like he was paying too much attention to what Gibbs was saying. "And I'm sorry that you got hurt in the crossfire."_

_The young man was silent for a while. Gibbs still wasn't sure if he was actually listening when he finally spoke. "Yeah, me too." He finally turned to his boss. This time his smile was genuine. "Thank you."_

" _For what?"_

" _For being here." Gibbs smiled in return. His heart fluttered a little. That was probably the nicest thing Tony had told him since he came back from Mexico._

" _So," He leaned back in his chair. "What ever happened with Palmer?"_

 _Tony laughed._ " _He dumped me when he found out about Jeanne."_

_Gibbs was confused. He sounded like he actually found that funny, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out how. He finally had to ask._

_Tony turned to him, a small gleam in his eyes. "Did you know that Palmer's been seeing Agent Lee?" That was a shock. One that Gibbs wasn't expecting. Although he had to admit, he did see why Tony thought it was funny._

_For the first time in a long time, he laughed out loud._

Tony pushed away from him, pulling the older man out of his memory. He took a few steps away and wiped at his mouth. "Don't." He was seething. "You lost your right to offer comfort a long time ago." He began to walk away again.

Gibbs was getting even more frustrated than normal. "What do you want me to say, Tony? I couldn't remember! I shouldn't have said what I did. But just how long are you going to hold that over my head?" During his tirade, Tony turned around, leaned against the fence and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked very relaxed.

"Do you realize that through that whole thing, you never once said you're sorry?"

Gibbs almost groaned. "It's a sign of weakness."

Tony shrugged. "You apologized to Ducky, but not to me. Or, is it okay to apologize to your friends, but not to the person you claim to love."

Gibbs was finally starting to get the picture. He stepped closer. " _Claimed_ to?"

Tony averted his gaze. "Like I said before, you remembered Jenny, you remembered your family. You believed Ducky and Ziva when they came to talk to you, but you wouldn't believe me! You didn't remember me."

"Tony." He didn't know how to finish that sentence. Everything Tony just said was completely true. He had the right to be upset. "For the better part of my life, I denied who and what I was. I refused to acknowledge to myself that I'm…" he paused and took a deep breath. Even now it was hard. "That I'm gay. You were the first guy I've ever been even remotely serious with. And even that was hard. After the coma, Shannon and Kelly were so fresh in my mind, I could barely wrap my head around the idea that I'd gotten married again. Hearing that felt like I was betraying them. Hearing from a man that we were seeing each other? I didn't want to believe it."

There was a glisten of emotion in Tony's eyes. Gibbs knew there was one in his eye as well. "You should have told me sooner. About Shannon and Kelly. I mean, I know that it's painful, but if you couldn't even tell me that you lost the love of your life—"

"I didn't." Tony stopped talking and just stared at the older man. "There will never be a day that goes by that I don't think about those two. And I will never stop loving them. But Shannon wasn't the love of my life." He shook his head. "She wasn't my soulmate."

"Gibbs." His voice was shaking now.

"You are." A single tear leaked out of Gibbs' eye. "And I am so sorry that I couldn't remember you. That I let my own self hate mask how I felt about you. Tony, I look at you, and I feel at home. I see you hurt, and it breaks my heart. When I found out Jenny was using you to get revenge on The Frog, I almost shot her myself." He paused. He reached forward, again attempting to touch Tony. The younger man tensed, but he didn't pull away this time.

"Gibbs, I," he paused as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "I don't know if I can trust you again. At work, no question. But this."

Gibbs took a step forward. "I will wait for you, Tony. But just know that I am not giving up. I won't." He put his hand on Tony's face. "I'm in love with you, Tony. And I am so, so very sorry that I hurt you the way I did." His hand shook. He wasn't sure if he wanted to admit this next bit to the man in front of him.

He sighed heavily. Tony deserved to know. "Right after I got out of the hospital, I… I got little glimpses of memories. About you." Tony looked up, shocked. Gibbs shook his head. "I didn't want to believe it. I thought that, with you talking and telling me everything, that you were giving me fake memories." He grabbed Tony's arm when it looked like he might try to bolt again. "And when I was in Mexico, Mike started saying that he suspected that I was gay for a long time. And I started having more flashes. But, he couldn't plant fake memories, he didn't even know you. That was when it finally clicked, that it was all real. Everything you told me."

Tony didn't move for a second. He stared at the older man in confusion. Gibbs was a little afraid that he would run, pissed off, and he would never see him again. "I probably should have come up with a better plan than just attacking you that night, huh?"

Gibbs smiled. "It's understandable given the circumstances."

Tony smirked a little. "Jethro." He paused, as if unsure of what to say. He looked anywhere but at Gibbs. Finally he turned back to meet his blue eyes. "I'm sorry," he said finally, shaking his head.

Then he turned and walked back towards the house.

_Gibbs cried out in ecstasy as his orgasm consumed him. Tony followed only a moment later, filling the older man. For some reason he couldn't really explain, Gibbs always liked that feeling._

_Tony plopped down on top of him, completely spent. Yet oddly wide awake. Gibbs chuckled, he would be._

" _Wow," Tony said after he finally caught his breath. "That was… incredible." He had a smile on his face like a kid in a candy store. Gibbs smiled while he ran his hands through his hair. He chuckled softly and shook his head._

" _You're a character, Tony. Only way to describe you."_

_Tony scrunched up his face in mock thought. "Is that a bad thing?"_

_Gibbs shook his head. "No. It's one of my favorite things about you."_

_That earned him more of a cocky smile._ " _Really? 'Here I thought your favorite thing about me was how I fucked you." He brought his hands up on Gibbs' chest to rest his chin on._

" _I said one of my favorite things, not my favorite thing."_

" _You have more than one?"_

" _I got the list of five so far." That earned him another cocky look._

" _Really? Well." Tony sat up swiftly. The sudden shift in position—and the fact that he was still buried in Gibbs—caused the older man to groan. Tony flinched. "Sorry."_

_Gibbs reached up and lightly swatted the back of his head. "Don't apologize."_

_Tony rolled his head around. "I know, I get it, it's a sign of weakness."_

" _That, and that wasn't a pained groan." He wriggled his eyebrows at Tony, hoping he'd get the message. When Tony wriggled his hips around, Gibbs was sure that he did._

" _Ok, so I wanna know. What are your top five favorite things about the Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo?" He crossed his arms over his chest. Almost trying to appear serious, but failing miserably._

_Gibbs crossed his hands under his head, a smile permanently glued to his lips. "Well, as you mentioned before, number one is the way you fuck me."_

_Tony cocked his head and lightly scoffed, like that was a completely obvious statement. Gibbs reached up and smacked him again. "So what's number two, Gibbs?"_

" _Your smile." That earned him one of DiNozzo's patented grins. Despite the fact that Tony was pushing forty, whenever he smiled, Gibbs would swear that he could pass as a twenty-five year old. Any sign of age seemed to just melt from his face. "Except when it's pointed at some tramp who you decide to flirt with."_

" _I flirt with women, I come home to you." They both stopped suddenly. That was probably one of the most romantic things Tony ever said. It freaked them both out a little. "What's your third favorite?"_

 _Gibbs chuckled._ " _That you're a character. Completely unique. All the movie references you make. The fact that you can superglue McGee's fingers to his keyboard, and yet he'd still follow you to hell and back. If any other person did some of the things you do to your coworkers on a daily basis, they would have lost their jobs, had countless sexual harassment suits against them, or possibly killed. But nobody can hate you. Nobody could hurt you like that."_

_Tony looked like he was thinking about what Gibbs was saying. Apparently he decided that it had some merit. "So, what's number four?"_

" _Your work methods. You are completely unconventional, you fall asleep at your desk, play stupid games, but you always give me what I need." Tony gave him a questioning—and slightly erotic—look. Gibbs rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."_

_Tony nodded. "Yeah I do. But just so you know, you're a bit of a killjoy there, Gibbs." Gibbs chuckled. "Ok." Tony clapped his hands together and wriggled his hips again, causing Gibbs to moan. "We have seen Leroy Jethro Gibbs' top four favorite things about," he pointed to himself, "yours truly. What, pray tell, could the fifth spot be?"_

_Gibbs didn't answer. Instead he grabbed Tony's shoulder and pulled him on top of him again. Their lips crashed together in one of the most intense kisses either had ever experienced. Their tongues fought a grueling battle of dominance, twisting and lapping to claim the other as their own. Gibbs felt Tony's manhood come alive inside of him. His own friend waking up only moments later._

_Finally they pulled apart, breathing heavy and more turned on than they had been in a long time. "That," Gibbs finally panted out. "Is my fifth favorite thing about you."_

" _That I'm always ready for seconds?" The younger man wriggled his eyebrows._

 _Gibbs smiled._ " _Kissing you, bonehead." Tony leaned down and captured his lips again. Subconsciously, his hips bucked against the older man. Gibbs dug his fingernails into Tony's back before pushing him away. "The fact that you're always ready for seconds is my sixth favorite thing."_

_Before Tony could make another crack, Gibbs pulled him down again and wrapped his legs around his torso._

Gibbs lay in bed with a giant smile on his face as he thought about what happened earlier that day. When Tony went inside the house, Gibbs followed him. It didn't look like he was trying to make a break for it. He was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. When he looked up, he was smiling. A real genuine smile. For the rest of his life, Gibbs would probably never forget what he said.

" _Soulmate, huh?"_

He smiled again as he thought about how the two barely made to the bedroom. Their clothes were scattered around the house, and a few things had been knocked off the walls. It was fantastic.

He heard Tony groan before he awoke. His eyes were glazed over with sleep. "Hey, you're awake." He rubbed at his face. "Why are you awake?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Thinking," was his simple answer.

"It better be about me."

The older man smiled. "Naturally." He kissed the top of Tony's head and rubbed his back. "I was just wondering why you forgave me."

Tony shrugged. "I guess I'm as much of a sap as you are." He paused for a moment. "Well, maybe not  _as_  much, but definitely close." Gibbs reached up as if to smack Tony, but rubbed the back of his head instead.

Gibbs looked down at Tony. Neither man was really tired anymore. The younger man lifted himself up on his elbows so his body completely covered Gibbs. "No, you know why I forgave you? Because you actually apologized. And you made it sound good."

Gibbs smiled. "That it?"

Tony shook his head. "Nope, I also remembered just how fun make up sex is." He leaned down and kissed the other man. He pulled away after only a few moments. "You ready for thirds?"

The second Tony climbed on top of him, Gibbs' body started to come alive. Now, he was at full attention. He cocked his head to the side and stared at Tony. "Just how in the hell do you have so much stamina?"

"Years of practice." He gently started to nibble at Gibbs' neck. Gibbs shut his eyes as a tremor ran through his body.

"I have more practice than you and even I'm not that good."

Tony bit down hard on his collar bone. "Old age does that to a person." He reached Gibbs' left nipple.

"Or maybe I just know there's only so much I can take before I'm walking funny."

Tony paused just as his hand reached Gibbs' aching manhood. He got a very contemplative look on his pretty face. "Hmm, you're right." He rolled off Gibbs and settle back on his side of the bed. Gibbs stared at him incredulously. "Night."

"You son of a bitch." He rolled over till he was on top of Tony. He was smiling.

"Well, we have to work tomorrow, do you wanna go in walking funny?" Gibbs grabbed him. Tony's eyes bugged out of his head. "Apparently you do."

"What can I say? I have a lot of stamina too. For an old guy." He leaned down and kissed Tony's mouth. "And I'm all set for another go."

Tony grabbed his shoulders and flipped them so he was on top. "Well," he said between kisses. "If you insist."


End file.
